Makerere sets up committee to study Visitation Committee report

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Makerere University has setup a special committee to study the Visitation Committee’s report that raised several management and policy issues about the university.

The report was presented to President Yoweri Museveni, who is also the visitor of the university on December 29.

Makerere University vice chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe said a number of issues were raised in the report, and that he has been receiving many calls from different stakeholders especially the media to respond.

“The report is big; talking about very many things so we must give appropriate responses,” Nawangwe said.

Makerere University vice chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe

He added that after the report was presented to the president, he asked the university management to formally respond to the issues raised.

“In the meeting, the president and visitor of Makerere University guided that a formal response to the report should be made by the university to the ministry of Education and Sports,” Nawangwe said.

In that regard, Nawangwe appointed Prof. William Bazeyo, the acting deputy vice chancellor in charge of finance and administration as chairperson of the committee with Charles Barugahare, the university secretary, Dr Eria Hisali, Prof. John Kabasa, Dr Florence Nakayiwa, Dorothy Sennoga Zake, and Jackie Ayorekire as members.

The group has been asked to draft a response to the visitation committee’s report, identify areas of immediate implementation and also identify areas that may need further clarification from the ministry.

“We would like to commit that management will expeditiously study the report and comment on the issues raised. We request the media to understand; a lot of issues raised are of a serious policy nature that extensively will affect our university and therefore we can only make a report after studying it. We can’t just comment off the cuff,” Nawangwe said.

Meanwhile, the vice chancellor revealed that they are going to continue improving on those areas that the committee said the university was doing well.

“On behalf of management, I commit to continue implementing what was recognize as being done well and to focus on areas where challenges were highlighted,” Nawangwe said.

Museveni appointed the Visitation Committee in November 2016 after a teaching staff strike sucked in students leading to violent clashes with security forces.

In its report, the committee that was led by Dr Abel Rwendeire [RIP] discovered several bleaches and mismanagement in Uganda’s premier university. Among its recommendation was the abolition of an elected vice chancellor, in favour of one appointed by the minister of Education.

He added that after the report was presented to the president, he asked the university management to formally respond to the issues raised.

“In the meeting, the president and visitor of Makerere University guided that a formal response to the report should be made by the university to the ministry of Education and Sports,” Nawangwe said.

In that regard, Nawangwe appointed Prof. William Bazeyo, the acting deputy vice chancellor in charge of finance and administration as chairperson of the committee with Charles Barugahare, the university secretary, Dr Eria Hisali, Prof. John Kabasa, Dr Florence Nakayiwa, Dorothy Sennoga Zake, and Jackie Ayorekire as members.

The group has been asked to draft a response to the visitation committee’s report, identify areas of immediate implementation and also identify areas that may need further clarification from the ministry.

“We would like to commit that management will expeditiously study the report and comment on the issues raised. We request the media to understand; a lot of issues raised are of a serious policy nature that extensively will affect our university and therefore we can only make a report after studying it. We can’t just comment off the cuff,” Nawangwe said.

Meanwhile, the vice chancellor revealed that they are going to continue improving on those areas that the committee said the university was doing well.

“On behalf of management, I commit to continue implementing what was recognize as being done well and to focus on areas where challenges were highlighted,” Nawangwe said.

Museveni appointed the Visitation Committee in November 2016 after a teaching staff strike sucked in students leading to violent clashes with security forces.

In its report, the committee that was led by Dr Abel Rwendeire [RIP] discovered several bleaches and mismanagement in Uganda’s premier university. Among its recommendation was the abolition of an elected vice chancellor, in favour of one appointed by the minister of Education.